NYN Daily (4/7/16)

By NYN Daily

Showers in New York City and Albany, and breezy with a chance of showers, followed by clouds in Buffalo. New York City, high 58; Albany, high 56; Buffalo, high 45.

Top News

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State Attorney General eyes shady dealing from Lower East Side developers, lobbyist who turned Rivington St. nursing home for AIDS patients into luxury condos

The probe of the controversial sale of a Lower East Side AIDS care facility has now been joined by the state attorney general’s office, amid new allegations the nursing home behind the shady deal blatantly lied to the community, the Daily News reports. The AG is investigating whether the deal — which the city authorized and which Mayor de Blasio has called a mistake — was approved by the state court, a source said. State law requires court approval whenever a nonprofit facility like Rivington House is converted into a for-profit entity. Read more.

Budget leaves Cuomo's affordable housing plan a mystery

Cuomo and legislators agreed on a new $147 billion state budget for fiscal year 2017 that includes nearly $2 billion for affordable housing, but it offers no details on where the housing will be built, who will build it, or when the state will start looking for projects to fund, Gotham Gazette writes. "The debate over supportive and affordable housing was pushed off because all the oxygen in the room was sucked up by the minimum wage debate," said Assembly Member Andrew Hevesi, a Queens Democrat who has sparred with the Cuomo administration in the past over the governor's funding of supportive housing, of budget negotiations. Read more.

De Blasio touts tenant protection efforts in East New York

As the de Blasio administration negotiates a deal with the City Council on rezoning a section of East New York in Brooklyn, a tenant outreach team has contacted more than 8,000 residents in the low-income neighborhood since last September, making tenants aware of their rights in landlord disputes and assisting with complaints, Politico NY reports. The Tenant Support Unit, which is run out of the Human Resources Administration, has knocked on 12,874 doors and spoken with 4,649 residents in person. Another 3,571 were reached by phone, the mayor's team said Wednesday. Read more.

The return of welfare as we knew it?

Since taking office two years ago, Mayor Bill de Blasio, and his commissioner of human resources, Steve Banks, have used a "touchy-feely" model as they remake the $200 million system intended to move roughly 54,000 able-bodied New Yorkers from welfare to work, Crain's New York writes. They are phasing out the signature Giuliani program that required welfare recipients to do community-service-type work in exchange for their government check, and have lately reduced the number of clients punished for missing city-mandated meetings intended to get them back to work. Read more.

Fair housing for ex-offenders: What’s the real story?

As the U.S. moves to correct the policy catastrophe of mass incarceration, more and more returning citizens will be seeking to reunite with their families and integrate into communities, the government will need to revisit its public housing policies that discriminate against ex-offenders, the Nonprofit Quarterly writes. Read more.

NYN Buzz

Launch of 2016 New York Community Trust Nonprofit Excellence Awards Includes Streamlined, More Accessible Application

New York area nonprofits have a chance to compete for $60,000 in prize money and scholarships to Columbia Business School’s nonprofit management courses in a program that recognizes best management. Today, the Nonprofit Coordinating Committee of New York (NPCC) launched the 2016 New York Community Trust Nonprofit Excellence Awards program, which provides area nonprofits with an opportunity to share best practices and receive expert feedback to strengthen their ability to meet their mission.

In a time where nonprofits are being asked to do more with less, the Awards provide nonprofits with an opportunity to assess their best practices and share innovative management strategies. Now in its tenth year, the Awards program has attracted close to 700 applicants from across the city and its suburbs. The Awards recognize outstanding management practices in eight key performance areas developed by NPCC. The 2016 application deadline is May 20. The Awards have been revamped for 2016 to make it easier for all nonprofits, including those with smaller budgets and staff, to apply. The Awards now include a one-page assessment of management practices, resources and year-round NPCC workshops to improve practices and an opportunity to compete for prize and scholarship money. A committee of more than 30 experts selects the winning nonprofits after a three-stage process that includes a thorough review of each organization’s management practices and detailed feedback on their strengths and weaknesses. In a survey of past applicants, 97% found the program helpful in improving their organization’s management.

NPCC created the Nonprofit Excellence Awards in 2006 and manages the program in collaboration with The New York Community Trust and Philanthropy New York. WNYC sponsors the program, which is also supported by The Clark Foundation, RSM US LLP, and Columbia Business School Executive Education Programs in Social Enterprise.

Three winning organizations will be honored at the Awards presentation in November, 2016. Each will receive a cash award, recognition by WNYC, and tuition scholarships for the Columbia Business School Executive Education Programs in Social Enterprise.

The Nonprofit Coordinating Committee of New York has also launched its first ever Needs Assessment Survey for New York Area nonprofits. As a leader in nonprofit management and capacity-building strategies, it’s vital that NPCC stay abreast of current trends and challenges that the nonprofit community faces. The responses will help NPCC to be a better champion for the nonprofit community—so that growing needs and concerns are addressed and the collective voice of the nonprofit sector and the communities served is strengthened.

QSAC CFO, Paul Naranjo, to retire; Doug Axenfeld to assume role

QSAC’s CFO of more than 20-years, Paul Naranjo, will retire in late September 2016. After an extensive search, Douglas "Doug" Axenfeld will assume the role of CFO after Mr. Naranjo’s retirement.

Over the last two decades, Mr. Naranjo has helped oversee the significant growth that QSAC has undergone throughout New York City and Long Island. When Paul joined the agency in the 1990s, it had an annual budget of a little over $389,000; today, QSAC’s annual budget is more than $61 million. In recognition for his years of service to the organization, and the autism community, Mr. Naranjo will be honored at QSAC’s annual gala on Tuesday, June 14, 2016 at The Lighthouse at Chelsea Piers in Manhattan (additional details available online at www.qsac.com/gala).

Regarding Paul’s tenure, Gary Maffei, QSAC’s CEO said, “For 20-years, Paul has been an integral member of QSAC’s management team. He has served as a mentor to many of our employees, a friend, and has left an indelible mark on this organization. I know that Paul and his family will continue to be involved with QSAC. We wish him the very best in retirement and thank him for his many years of service. His work and tireless commitment have truly touched the lives of the families we support.”

Doug Axenfeld, an executive with more than two decades of finance experience, will join QSAC as its new CFO. In order to ensure a smooth transition, Mr. Axenfeld will join QSAC in April 2016 and will assume full responsibility for the role upon Paul’s retirement in late September. Mr. Axenfeld joins QSAC after his tenure at FEDCAP Rehabilitation Services where he served as Director of Financial Operations having previously served as Director of Financial Operations for nearly 10-years at YAI. Earlier in his career, Doug served as QSAC’s Controller. He is a graduate of the State University of New York at Buffalo where he received a Bachelor of Science in Economics.

“Drawing on more than 20-years of experience in nonprofit finance, Doug poses significant knowledge regarding state and local funding agencies. We look forward to having Doug join us as our new CFO. We're confident that he’ll provide the fiscal leadership needed as we continue to grow to meet the needs of the autism community,” said Gary Maffei.

Featured Event: The Role of Business in K-12 Education

May 19th, Hunter College - City & State Reports presents a one-day, high-impact conference that will explore how businesses, foundations and nonprofits can have a tangible, positive effect on K-12 education. Stanley Litow of IBM; Dale Russakoff, author of “The Prize”; and Lisa Belzberg of PENCIL present. Early bird and nonprofit rates available. Register now

Political Bulletin powered by City & State

Mayor Bill de Blasio said that he was going to add $305 million to New York City’s capital budget to speed up work on a major water tunnel project so that it would be able to serve Brooklyn and Queens, The New York Times reports. Read more.

A group representing parents and former students at ultra-Orthodox yeshivas accused the de Blasio administration of dragging its feet in investigating their schools, out of fear of alienating a constituency he has courted, the Times writes. Read more.

Former NYPD Chief of Department Philip Banks, who was a rising star when he quit in 2014, was one of the targets of a police investigation into a quid-pro-quo scheme with two businessman, the Post writes. Read more.

Nonprofits in the News

Empowering New York City's Women Entrepreneurs

New York City Deputy Mayor Alicia Glen highlights Hot Bread Kitchen, a nonprofit social enterprise that creates opportunities for low-income women and their families by offering culinary workforce and business incubation programs, stressing the opportunities available through the Women's Entrepreneurs NYC Initiative. "While entrepreneurship may ultimately be a path to economic security, to consider it as an option, women will need to know how and what services can support them in that endeavor," Glen writes. Read more.